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Praziquantel is a drug that can be used to treat fish that have been aquired with flukes. Actually it illiminates the flukes but does nothing toward repairing the damage done by the flukes. It is a difficult drug to obtain (at least in the large quantities that I needed when treating 41000 gallons) but can be obtained from any Vet in the form of Droncit - a drug used to deworm dogs and cats. All that being said, you can accomplish the removal of flukes from fish quite successfully with the fresh water dip alone. I recomend you freshwater dip all new fish and those existing fish that show signs of flukes, c. irritans or amaloodinium. Brooklynella can also be treated in this manner but requires additional formalin dips. These dips only remove parasites from the fish dipped but do nothing to rid your tank of parasites not attached to the fish and in a different stage of the life cycle. To rid your tank of the pests you have to break the life cycle which can usually be accomplished by leaving the tank free of any and all fish for at least 40 days. For example if you have a reef tank with even one infected fish, you must remove all fish to a quarantine tank for treatment with copper and leave the reef fish free for 40 days. This is ok though because the copper treatment done properly will take 40 days aswell.
I can't recomend how to dose the copper treatment that you choose to use as all are a little different. Personally I make my own with copper sulphate and citric acid but no matter what formula you buy it is required that you test for copper levels. You need to get a copper test kit and test throughout the treatment period. If the level of copper is not maintained at the required level ( aprox. .18ppm ) it will not be effective. Equally important is to not overdose (above .25ppm) as it can kill your fish. You must also test every couple of days to make sure the level is maintained.
All of this info should be included with the product you choose. Do not buy a product that claims it may interfere with copper test kits (some do - check you Cupramine product). If it can't be tested for it's of no use.
Yes copper can be removed with Activated carbon but make sure you use the copper in a tank that has no calcarius substrate or rockwork. hese items suck in the copper and are very difficult to rid of copper later. Bare treatment tanks are best, with large pvc fittings as hiding places for your fish.
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